Circuit closer



Patented Apr. 8, 1924.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM E. BEES, F BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

CIRCUIT CLOSER.

Application filed December 21, 1921.

.To c//Z 111/1 om if; 'may concern.'

Be it known that l, VILLIAM l-l. Buns, a citizen of the United States of' America, and a resident of Berkeley, county of Alameda, State ot' California, have invented a new and useful Circuit Closer, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to circuit closing devices andan object of the invention is to provide an improved circ-uit closer particularly adapted for use in the weighing apparatus which is the subject of my copending application, Serial Number 416,917, and which comprises a rotary hopper wheel into which the material to be weighed is dumped from a chute. The hopper is supported by the platform of a suitable scale, adjusted so that the beanr is raised only when a predetermined unit load is in the hopper. The raising of the beam closes an electric circuit which controls magnetically operated mechanism for closing a gate to interrupt the flow of material to the hopper. My present invention comprises a quick acting circuit closer, the action of which is initiated by the movement of the scale beam. The primary object of the `invention is the provision of a device whereby the slow movement of the scale beam may be utilized to efect the almost instantaneous closing of the circuit referred to, so that sparking and welding of the contact points are avoided.

My invention possessesother objects and features of advantage, lsome of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of my invention. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made by the said description, as l may adopt variantforms of my invention within the scope of the claims.y

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the device, showing the scale beam in section. The parts are shown in opencircuit position. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device showing the scale beam also in side elevation. Fig 3 is a view similarto that of Fig. 1, but with the parts in closedcircuit position. Fig. 4 isy an elevation of a modified form ofl my device.

My invention comprises a housing 2 suitably mounted below the scale beam 3. Terminal blocks 4 inthe circuit 5 to be controlled are mounted on the housing and in turn form mountings for the resilient conta-ct arms 6, on which are beveled con- Serial No. 523,853.

tart points 7, spaced apart so that the circuit of which the arms are a part is normally open. Slidably mounted inthe housing is a plunger 8 having an upper head 9 and a lower head 11. The plunger is normally retained in its upper position by a spring 12 interposed between the plunger and the housing and in the upper position of the plunger a wedge form head 13 fixed thereon engages the beveled contact points 7 and closes the circuit. That is to say when the plunger is in the lower position with the spring 12 compressed the circuit is opened thru the Contact arms and whenV the plunger has been raised by the spring 12 to its upper position the circuit is closed thru the contact arms. This structure has the advantage of positivelybreaking the circuit when the scale beam falls and is 'therefore unlikely to keep the circuit closed by sticking.

The position of the plunger is determined by the position of the scale beam. When the scale beam is down, as it is when there is no load on the platform the plunger is depressed and the circuit is open. When the scale beam rises as it does when a load is on the platform, the plunger may, when released by the mechanism of the device, rise to close the circuit.

Means are provided, also actuated by the scale beam, for retaining the plunger in the lower or depressed position after it has once been depressed and until the scale beam has nearly completed its upward movement-y when the plunger is suddenly,` released to quickly close' the circuit thru the contact arms.

Pivoted in the housing on each side of the plunger is a lever 16 on the lower end of which is arranged a spring-pressed latch 17 so formed as to permit the beveled head 11 on, the plunger to pass the latch on the downwardmovement of the plunger, but which retains theplunger in lower position by engagement with the upper face of the head. A spring 18 tends to press the lower end of the lever outwardly so that the latch is in inoperative position, that is, the springs 18 tend to rock the upper ends of the levers 16 toward each other, thus moving the latches apart and releasing the plunger.

The upper end of each arm is provided with a thin metallic shoe 19, arranged to be engaged by the scale beam so that downward movement of the scale beam causes pliniits @the r.

irre i f l each to :i

ln rief on the ses 70 "lgO/'l ing i por bv tli ii'loeme, le 75 ends of Ithe levers L`imrt. Opemz'0n-filli no load ou tlie plufform me *i ris are, iu the position sllowi. i "il ille circuit operi tliru the Coilzicoiuiiiilziiioo of ai full uur ale platform, *the scalo b r emile o' 'lle levers beziri g allowed to apgroaoh el the pressure ol' llie spr'iigs ilrre." o roel; l of lle levers separates f morenieiit of ."lie spring lie cominci;

-per head oi 'ille plun;

eale'e of clio slice 19 iificer enel of o oli lel eiisgenieij; virili ille scale be` y the humping o' loml olie x4@fle 'l iiiomblo depressing 'lie Aiger unil sepa. said soir 95 upper ends of lie levers so that tl -presseo le- :ire iii operatie gosiioii once lrore. mul :ir-

ii Fig. l l lime shown :lieflilixfl form 3 r be roole-fl rloii'iiwziril of my apparatus iii which Jlie lzilelies are ino/rei; ent of iliey alle to rook to- "formed oli springs 2l comprising flat f it 100 of spring metal bent :is sliowii :rrd inst on eaoli le Ar er tlie upper enel *go lili-e firm 22 eorrespo 'fallen fue ing to arm 16 iii Flr-.t springs 23 iiicerposed between housing and -ii ll'l explained. The SDL arranged Willi f sind;

held :i Miri bj; lie resilience oi piu 28 on tlie plunger pre lolo en@ geilieii 'when ille l i iiiorsalile from 110 swirl comme to l. A L closer Comprising spaced iiiieelmnisri'l iiieonlziei's A secl in die Circuit to be Corining smid irollecl :i spring' pressed plunger niovsole sinking: terflixig from cocked position lo engage solid oonl; ich.

VILLIAM H. EEES. 

